Missed Shot
by Brownies and Strawberries
Summary: They say there's a fine line between love and hate.


**A/N: So as promised, I worked on this after my busy week in school. I hope this doesn't seem as half-assed anymore. Haha.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.**

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Hermione had always hated Draco. She hated the way he strutted about, not sparing a glance at anyone in his path. She hated that annoying smirk that seemed to be permanently etched on his stupid face. She hated the cold, condescending way he glared at her, even when she didn't do anything to him. She hated the disgust in his voice whenever he called her a Mudblood. She hated how he effortlessly leveled with her for the top rank in class. That last one, she probably hated the most.

Draco was her nemesis, almost the way Harry was to Lord Voldemort. When she first saw him in their first year, she admits she had a teensy crush on him. He was so cute, silver hair framing his little face, even then a smirk gracing his features. However, it was replaced with hatred the moment he made fun of her and her new-found friends. For the next seven years in Hogwarts, their mutual dislike for each other only grew. To the point that the entire wizarding world thought they were pulling a prank when they announced their engagement five years after their graduation.

It was true; they were surprised themselves. It took Draco three years to convince Hermione that he _actually_ liked her, and that his meanness towards her was driven by his crush on her. Blame Lucius Malfoy for not being a good example for expressing feelings. Draco and Hermione both pursued careers as Aurors, and this gave Draco a chance to show her remorse for all the pain he had caused her during their stay at Hogwarts. He stopped calling her Mudblood, although it was in his nature to call her some other name here and there, just for fun. He would anonymously donate to her department, knowing only Hermione would figure out who it was. Hermione still openly disliked him, so he respected this by letting her see him as little as possible.

Hermione's hatred towards Draco began to wane when they were assigned to become partners. Hermione was livid at first. But, finally mature, he taunted and made fun of her less and less. She was a Muggle-born, yes, but she was a bloody intelligent and beautiful one to boot. Hermione couldn't pinpoint the very moment she stopped hating and started liking Draco, but it was around the time that she fell ill after a mission and Draco stayed at home with her for the rest of the week, nursing her back to health. Who would've known that a Pureblood prat could be so caring, towards a filthy _Mudblood_ at that? She was even surprised that he knew how to take care of her, when he seemed so accustomed to being served by house-elves. To her greater surprise, Draco noticed her skepticism and told her that he got rid of his house-elves when he started living in his own place. He said he was persuaded during Hermione's speeches on S.P.E.W. back in Hogwarts. That was what convinced her to think that Draco was a good person, after all.

She couldn't believe her ears and eyes when Draco proposed to her. It happened when they were in Hogwarts for some Auror duties, and when everyone else was in their beds, Draco collected Hermione from her room and dragged her to the Great Hall. It was empty and dark, save for the starry night sky above them. He waved his wand, and music began to play from nowhere, as if a ghost string quartet was playing. Maybe a ghost string quartet _was_ playing. He looked at her, love evident in his eyes. He said a little speech, about how she made him better everyday, from the moment they _met_ (yes), and that being with her was the best thing that happened to him. She was the only one he ever loved, and he couldn't imagine living a life without her in it. It was very romantic and so out of character. Draco looked down afterwards, embarrassment taking over. She decided that he had done more than enough to prove the sincerity of his feelings to her. She smiled at him, and told him that she loved him for the first time. This got Draco back on track. With another wave of his wand, the stars on the ceiling rearranged themselves into constellations, forming the words "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" against a black night sky. Hermione's eyes began to tear up, and as she put a hand to her mouth and nodded at him, he rushed forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. He hugged her, and she melted into him. They kissed, because it spoke a lot more volumes than just saying the words _I love you_. That was decidedly the most beautiful moment in her life.

Hermione didn't always hate Draco. She liked the way he walked beside her, his slender fingers intertwined with hers. She liked the way a tiny dimple appeared whenever he laughed so hard from something she'd say. She liked the way he looked at her, with such sincerity and care even when she didn't do anything. She liked how his deep voice was heavy with emotions whenever he told her that he loved her. She loved how he almost effortlessly made her happy, causing her to forget all her worries in the world. That last one, she liked the most.

Hermione Granger loved Draco Malfoy, she couldn't last a day without seeing him, touching him, talking to him. So it was only natural for her whole world to crumble and fall apart and for her to be beyond devastated when he died a day before their wedding, when he got caught in the crossfire during a war between giants in a forest in Italy, looking for a certain petrified flower he knew Hermione would love. Devastated was an understatement, but she had to keep on going, living in a world without the love of her life, because she carried his legacy inside her. She was pregnant—the only part of Draco she was left with—and the grief from her loss only magnified her love for her—_their_—child. She would be the best mother the child could have, and she would show him how great and loving a person his father was.

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**A/N: I'm sorry (not sorry, actually) if anyone finds the ending a disappointment. Hah!**

**Please do review and tell me what you think.**


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